The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines brownfields as ""real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant"". These problem properties are not uncommon: according to the General Accounting Office (GAO), there are close to 450,000 brownfields in the United States alone. Another study puts the number of brownfields much higher, between 500,000 - 600,000 sites in the country.

The focus in this manual is on the less contaminated sites that are the vast majority of brownfields. The most severely contaminated sites from around the country have been categorized by EPA and placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). There are roughly 1,200 sites on this Superfund list.

After reading this manual you will be familiar with:

- The most common toxins found at brownfield sites;
- State-of-the-art methods to eliminate these toxins;
- Different financing tools for brownfields redevelopment;
- The process for involving the community in cleaning up brownfields and placing them back in productive use; and,
- Strategies for sustainable development of brownfields.

Non-Member Price: $85

Member-Price: $60

Business retention, and fostering the expansion of existing businesses, is the foundation of any sound economic development program. And for good reason! Changes in the global marketplace have put increased pressure on firms to become more efficient and more mobile in order to seek out and take advantage of profit opportunities.

This manual explores strategies to retain the existing economic base by making businesses and the communities that house them more competitive. Issues covered include how to apply a wide range of economic development resources, tools, and techniques to support local businesses through the creation of a successful business retention and expansion program.

You will learn how to:

- The similarities between BRE and economic development marketing and attraction programs;
- How to build BRE teams within your community;
- What resources are required to run a successful BRE program;
- How to design and administer a variety of business surveys;
- Early warning systems that indicate a firm may be at risk;
- Various technical assistance approaches to support businesses and improve the local business climate;
- Workforce and financial resources that can be tapped to support local businesses;
- Opportunities to help businesses expand their markets.

Non-Member Price: $85

Member-Price: $60

Business retention, and fostering the expansion of existing businesses, is the foundation of any sound economic development program. And for good reason! Changes in the global marketplace have put increased pressure on firms to become more efficient and more mobile in order to seek out and take advantage of profit opportunities.

This manual explores strategies to retain the existing economic base by making businesses and the communities that house them more competitive. Issues covered include how to apply a wide range of economic development resources, tools, and techniques to support local businesses through the creation of a successful business retention and expansion program.

You will learn how to:

- The similarities between BRE and economic development marketing and attraction programs;
- How to build BRE teams within your community;
- What resources are required to run a successful BRE program;
- How to design and administer a variety of business surveys;
- Early warning systems that indicate a firm may be at risk;
- Various technical assistance approaches to support businesses and improve the local business climate;
- Workforce and financial resources that can be tapped to support local businesses;
- Opportunities to help businesses expand their markets.

Non-Member Price: $66

Member-Price: $47

Economic development aims to expand the economies of states, regions, cities, and localities by building businesses and new industries to create and retain jobs, enhance the tax base, and improve the overall quality of life for area residents. One of the primary tools for the economic developer is financing. It is a means to stimulate growth and development by increasing access to capital for both ventures and projects that may not take place if left to market forces but would provide economic benefits.

There are two components to economic development finance. One involves providing financial assistance to business ventures and programs. The other involves providing financial assistance for projects such as the construction of a parking garage in the city center. Both components help to promote economic development goals. This manual deals primarily with the financing of business ventures. It is an overview of the processes that go into business financing, taking into account the issues for businesses, investors, lending institutions, and economic developers.

In this manual, you will learn:

- Who the players in development finance are;
- Why development finance is necessary;
- How to read and analyze financial statements;
- What criteria banks use to evaluate companies;
- What local, state and federal financing programs are available to support development finance projects; and,
- How to apply a development finance program.

Non-Member Price: $85

Member-Price: $60

Economic development aims to expand the economies of states, regions, cities, and localities by building businesses and new industries to create and retain jobs, enhance the tax base, and improve the overall quality of life for area residents. One of the primary tools for the economic developer is financing. It is a means to stimulate growth and development by increasing access to capital for both ventures and projects that may not take place if left to market forces but would provide economic benefits.

There are two components to economic development finance. One involves providing financial assistance to business ventures and programs. The other involves providing financial assistance for projects such as the construction of a parking garage in the city center. Both components help to promote economic development goals. This manual deals primarily with the financing of business ventures. It is an overview of the processes that go into business financing, taking into account the issues for businesses, investors, lending institutions, and economic developers.

In this manual, you will learn:

- Who the players in development finance are;
- Why development finance is necessary;
- How to read and analyze financial statements;
- What criteria banks use to evaluate companies;
- What local, state and federal financing programs are available to support development finance projects; and,
- How to apply a development finance program.

Non-Member Price: $66

Member-Price: $47

The Economic Development Marketing and Attraction manual will help economic development practitioners understand marketing techniques and how they are used to attract prospective firms. The firms may be relocating to the community, expanding from their current location, or starting up new operations in the community. Business attraction is sometimes considered the most well understood of economic development strategies. This manual will present the realities of marketing and attraction programs and review the various components that underlie the basic tenets of such a program that are often forgotten. Mainly, economic development attraction is the process of inventorying the community and translating the findings into a plan to attract companies that will diversify and build the local/regional economy. The strategy of attraction is to identify those companies that match the community's assets and development goals. It will assist economic development practitioners to design and implement a marketing program geared towards attracting prospective firms to the community.

This manual also discusses marketing, one of the key tools used in economic development attraction. Many of the marketing tools and techniques presented in this manual can be used in other economic development programs such as business retention and workforce attraction.

This manual is designed to help you:

- Understand the role of the economic developer in marketing and attraction efforts;
- Analyze local community factors to identify target industries;
- Identify and verbalize the competitive advantages of the community;
- Understand and inventory the factors that influence business location decisions;
- Understand the suite of traditional and electronic marketing tools available to the community;
- Develop a marketing plan;
- Understand the purpose and strategic use of incentives; and,
- Understand the basics of international trade and export programs.

Non-Member Price: $66

Member-Price: $47

The Economic Development Marketing and Attraction manual will help economic development practitioners understand marketing techniques and how they are used to attract prospective firms. The firms may be relocating to the community, expanding from their current location, or starting up new operations in the community. Business attraction is sometimes considered the most well understood of economic development strategies. This manual will present the realities of marketing and attraction programs and review the various components that underlie the basic tenets of such a program that are often forgotten. Mainly, economic development attraction is the process of inventorying the community and translating the findings into a plan to attract companies that will diversify and build the local/regional economy. The strategy of attraction is to identify those companies that match the community's assets and development goals. It will assist economic development practitioners to design and implement a marketing program geared towards attracting prospective firms to the community.

This manual also discusses marketing, one of the key tools used in economic development attraction. Many of the marketing tools and techniques presented in this manual can be used in other economic development programs such as business retention and workforce attraction.

This manual is designed to help you:

- Understand the role of the economic developer in marketing and attraction efforts;
- Analyze local community factors to identify target industries;
- Identify and verbalize the competitive advantages of the community;
- Understand and inventory the factors that influence business location decisions;
- Understand the suite of traditional and electronic marketing tools available to the community;
- Develop a marketing plan;
- Understand the purpose and strategic use of incentives; and,
- Understand the basics of international trade and export programs.

Non-Member Price: $85

Member-Price: $60

As cities assume greater responsibility for their own economic development, the need for economic development practitioners to set clear and attainable economic development goals and objectives and to design policies and programs to achieve them, increases in importance. Ever present fiscal constraints and competing demands for scarce resources also make it necessary to set priorities and develop more rational approaches to economic development. This training manual addresses how to plan local economic development strategically. In particular, it discusses the process of planning strategically and how an economic development strategy can improve the effectiveness of local development programs. The manual also addresses how to identify the potential strengths and weaknesses of a local economy in order to devise effective programs. It examines how to relate economic analysis to the formulation and design of policy and programs. By identifying and explaining the factors and methods critical to successful economic development planning, this manual attempts to assist public and private organizations to build stronger, healthier economies.

The objective of the manual is to provide economic development practitioners with the following knowledge base and skills:

- Understand the importance of planning for economic development;
- Conduct economic base analysis and other analysis including demographics, changes in technology, competition, socio-cultural changes, etc.;
- Develop aggressive yet realistic goals, objectives, and strategies that most productively focus community efforts;
- Evaluate different project proposals, identify those projects or policies that best meet local economic development goals and objectives and find local resources such as finances, staff capabilities, incentives and inducements;
- Demonstrate different approaches, tools and methods used to bring different local representatives into the planning process and build consensus; and,
- Incorporate monitoring and evaluation techniques to ensure project impact.

Non-Member Price: $66

Member-Price: $47

As cities assume greater responsibility for their own economic development, the need for economic development practitioners to set clear and attainable economic development goals and objectives and to design policies and programs to achieve them, increases in importance. Ever present fiscal constraints and competing demands for scarce resources also make it necessary to set priorities and develop more rational approaches to economic development. This training manual addresses how to plan local economic development strategically. In particular, it discusses the process of planning strategically and how an economic development strategy can improve the effectiveness of local development programs. The manual also addresses how to identify the potential strengths and weaknesses of a local economy in order to devise effective programs. It examines how to relate economic analysis to the formulation and design of policy and programs. By identifying and explaining the factors and methods critical to successful economic development planning, this manual attempts to assist public and private organizations to build stronger, healthier economies.

The objective of the manual is to provide economic development practitioners with the following knowledge base and skills:

- Understand the importance of planning for economic development;
- Conduct economic base analysis and other analysis including demographics, changes in technology, competition, socio-cultural changes, etc.;
- Develop aggressive yet realistic goals, objectives, and strategies that most productively focus community efforts;
- Evaluate different project proposals, identify those projects or policies that best meet local economic development goals and objectives and find local resources such as finances, staff capabilities, incentives and inducements;
- Demonstrate different approaches, tools and methods used to bring different local representatives into the planning process and build consensus; and,
- Incorporate monitoring and evaluation techniques to ensure project impact.

Non-Member Price: $85

Member-Price: $60

Small and merging businesses are a significant source of employment and wealth generation in today’s high technology global economy. They stimulate job creation, develop crucial innovations in both products and services, and promote the diversification of the economic base. Thus, it is critical that communities and economic developers dedicate resources to developing and promoting new business startups and establish effective support systems. A community that meets the needs of its entrepreneurs increases its chances of job growth by small businesses, which translates into a more vibrant community.

This manual identifies the tools that economic developers need to create a climate that caters to small businesses. In addition, it covers the characteristics of entrepreneurs and small business owners, the barriers they face and how communities can promote their development.

In this manual, you will learn:

- Characteristics of entrepreneurs and small business owners;
- Elements of entrepreneurial and small business development support;
- Building public-private partnerships to expand debt and equity financing;
- The fundamentals of economic gardening and practical case studies;
- Launching business incubators and accelerators;
- How to attract private investors and lenders;
- Various federal and non-federal resources available to economic developers to stimulate small business development in their communities.

Non-Member Price: $66

Member-Price: $47